Pakistan opposition leader Imran Khan appeals for US President to step aside in Afghanistan

Monday, April 16, 2018 - 09:52 PM

Pakistan opposition leader and former cricketer, Imran Khan, has appealed for the US and their allies to step aside in Afghanistan and allow the region and its neighbours "come up with a political solution".

In a wide ranging interview with

RT, Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Movement for Justice, criticised the US approach in Afghanistan amnd suggested Pakistan has also been negatively affected by "bellicose US rhetoric and failures".

He suggested US security funding in Pakistan cost the country dearly as fighting “someone else’s war” had caused more problems than any benefit from aid.

Imran Khan

“There is a problem, unfortunately, that the American policy of using a one-dimensional military solution to problems in Afghanistan has led not only to the longest war, but it has caused immense problems to Pakistan,” Khan told RT.

Mr Khan said “American aid has been very costly for Pakistan” pointing to a devastating economic fallout, the death of 70,000 people and the displacement of up to 4m more.

“So this small aid has been very costly. And the lesson learned, from Pakistan’s point of view, is to never fight someone else’s war.”

The cricket legend said he believes the only plausible way to achieve peace is by bringing the Afghan Taliban and the Afghan government to the negotiating table.

“If he [Trump] had even drawn any lessons from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, before that the British in the 19th century invasion of Afghanistan, he would know that this military solution which Donald Trump also has tried, is going to fail. The only solution, the only way to bring peace in Afghanistan is all the neighbors sit together and then come up with a political solution. There is no other solution apart from that,” Mr Khan said.